Brother of French Alps murder victim released on bail

The brother of an Iraqi-born British national murdered alongside two members of his family and a French cyclist in the Alps last September was released on bail Tuesday, a day after he was detained "on suspicion of conspiracy to murder".

British police on Tuesday released on bail a suspect and brother of a murdered British-Iraqi man, Saad al-Hilli, who was shot dead along with his wife, mother-in-law and a French cyclist in the Alps last year.

"The 54-year-old who was arrested yesterday on suspicion of conspiracy to murder has tonight been released on bail until July 31 pending further enquiries," said Surrey police in a statement on its website.

Eric Maillaud, the prosecutor in charge of the case in France, told AFP Tuesday that the suspect Zaid al-Hilli was released at around 1800 GMT and faces a number of unspecified conditions in his bail terms.

He added that "no serious charges" had been laid against him and that "the investigation is continuing."